June

U.S.News & World Report: SHU Among Best Online Programs for Veterans in the North

News Story: May 28, 2014

In its rankings of the Best Online Programs for Veterans, U.S. News Media Group has placed Sacred Heart University 33rd among the top bachelor’s degree programs in the North. The rankings, which include more than 197 online degree programs nationwide, can be found at http://www.usnews.com/education/online-education.

To ensure academic quality, all schools in the ranking had to be previously recognized by U.S.News & World Report in its 2014 Best Online Programs rankings. This means that each program is housed in a regionally accredited institution and performed well enough based on various factors, including reputation, faculty credentials, high student graduation rates and low graduate debt loans, to earn a spot. The ranking for the Best Online Programs for Veterans, now in its second year, cover online bachelor’s degree programs, as well as online master’s degree programs in business, education, engineering and nursing.

“Veterans and active-duty service members face unique challenges as students—from transitioning between bases and grappling with deployment to balancing work and family life upon return,” said Robert Morse, director of data research for U.S.News & World Report. “The Best Online Programs for Veterans are high-quality programs that also offer educational benefits and flexibility for veterans pursuing a degree.”

“Sacred Heart has established itself as an institution that is supportive of veterans, and the word has spread as a factor in attracting other veterans,” said Jon De Benedictis, SHU’s recruiter/admissions coordinator. He also credits “the faculty and staff and their interactions and rapport with student veterans” for encouraging them to stay and complete their degrees with Sacred Heart, noting that the assistance goes well beyond the classroom.

There are federal initiatives designed to reduce the cost of school for veterans and make course credits more portable. Institutions ranked are certified for the GI Bill and participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program. The Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) Consortium and the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) are two other organizations with which the ranked schools are affiliated.